November 22 - LD 47, Day 4: Jesus, Name Above Every Name

Read: Philippians 2:5-11

As we saw last time, God’s name is His revelation of Himself. To know God’s name is to know God. We also saw that God’s name includes more than His proper names. Wherever God is revealed, there is His name.

This time, we see the ultimate revelation of God’s name: Jesus Christ.

God is pleased to reveal Himself most fully in Jesus. We can distinguish three ways in which Jesus fully reveals God: in Jesus’ name, in His person, and in His work.

First, God reveals Himself in Jesus’ name. The name Jesus is made up of two words: Jehovah, salvation. As God told Joseph through the angel in Matt 1:21, “…thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.” Therefore, Jesus’ name reveals Him to be the outstanding demonstration of God’s love and faithfulness. God is not only the great, unchangeable Jehovah, the I AM THAT I AM; He is also the merciful Savior who delivers His people from their sins. God’s unchangeable mercy for His elect people is revealed in the sending of Jesus. Jesus’ name is a constant testimony to God’s people: Jehovah, your God, saves you. As Phil 2 says, Jesus’ name is above every name, and this brings glory to God.

Second, God reveals Himself in Jesus’ person. Jesus is the eternal Son and the eternal Word, the Second Person of the Trinity. In that Person are united the divine and human natures of Christ. Therefore, all who look upon Jesus look upon God Himself. For that reason, Heb 1:3 calls Jesus “the brightness of His [God’s] glory, and the express image of His [God’s] person.” This is also why Jesus Himself taught in John 14:7-9: “If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also . . . . He that hath seen me hath seen the Father...”

Third, God reveals Himself in Jesus’ works. The powerful teaching and the mighty miracles of Jesus all revealed the glory of God. This explains what Jesus means in John 17:6 when He prays to God, “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world.” Immediately after this, Jesus goes on to recount the work that He performed in keeping them. By Jesus’ mighty works, God is revealed.

What a glorious name belongs to Jesus! God most fully reveals Himself in this Jehovah-salvation. And therefore, it is the only name under heaven whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12)!